JMT wrote:Will Smith probably has a legitimate gripe about being left out of the Oscar nominations. The NFL is basically Big Tobacco in the 80s and 90s. I'm glad this guy's story has been told in this way.

A-

I thought you were a big Football fan.

I have to admit, as cynical as I am, even I am surprised at the lack of care show by the fans on this scandal. The issue has been well publicized and now there is a movie with one of the biggest actors of our time in it, and still ratings on Football games remain as high as ever, as far as I know. I did hear one report that enrollment in youth football has dropped slightly, but it was on some NPR show, so it may have been biased. Even if it is right, I still cannot figure out how any mom or dad could put their kid in the game. Pick Baseball or something, where physical damage is less.

It's a conflict, for sure. While I appreciate the competitive beauty of the game, I have been disgusted at the league's actions regarding not only CTE, but the treatment of former players in general (by the NFL and also their own players' union), and I have always held the position that the current commissioner is an asshole of the highest order and should be ousted. But now that the truth about CTE has come out, can the argument be made to respect a player's decision whether they want to play or not? Also, will science and concussion-syndrome protocols that did not exist decades ago make a difference going forward?

I do know one thing for sure, I agree with you in that I would not want my kid playing football.

And don't get me wrong, I am a big sports fan. I played soccer for many years on a community league and it was one of my favorite things I did every week. I mountain bike, though no longer as often as I like. I love watching the Olympics.

What I don't understand is why the league just doesn't change a few rules to fix the problem. There are tons of sports that do not have this problem. I would be interested to see a comparison of cases between Football and Rugby. I know that all sports have injury risks. When I took soccer in college, our coach literally said, "Soccer can hurt you, soccer can KILL you." Annette broke her neck mountain biking. As soon as she was healed, she was back on the trails again. But, there are ways to minimize the risks, without reducing the thrills or the profits. Basketball makes plenty of money, so does Baseball, so does soccer. Heck, so does Cricket! You don't need to ruin the players to make money. This, I think, is what I find most distressing. They could make just as much money without breaking the players. There is no good reason not to fix this, and yet they don't.

Rugby players get concussions too, but not at the level of the NFL. I would like the NFL to maybe propose the removal of helmets.

Though the NFL has added rules over the years about leading with the crown of your helmet or helmet to helmet hits. The hits continue to occur with helmets and players continue to throw their bodies leading with their helmet when tackling an opposing player. I believe this will reduce concussions since players would be more cautious when tackling someone.

I love the sport and dont wish for it to go away, but players are retiring earlier in their careers for this reason. They are worried about their health and future. Its a violent game and injuries will continue to occur.

The problem with those rules is that when you run, you naturally put your head down. Sure, players can try to lead with their shoulder, but... ummm... you know what sticks out further than that? Yeah, your head.

As you note, the problem is partly created by the helmets, which make the players feel protected, much like the gloves of the boxers lead to additional head injuries, while protecting the hands.

Back in the old days, Football players had much less padding. There really is no reason for all this padding. Rugby is played with far less armor and as you noted, players get injured at a lower rate.